If you’re in the need of some pampering but can’t afford to splash out on a salon treatment, don’t worry. We’ve got a few easy tips to get your started with your very own at-home manicure and pedicure. If you really want to treat yourself, why not also try our home-made scrubs and treatments for different hand and foot complaints.

At-home manicures

Our hands can be one of our biggest beauty hang ups, and are often responsible for ageing us faster than we’d like! You don’t have to get monthly salon manicures to keep your hands looking radiant though, just follow our easy DIY steps for beautiful hands at home:

• Chipped nail polish is messy and can make you cringe every time you see it.Remove any remaining nail polish with a non-acetone nail polish remover (unless acetone is required for shellac/gels).
• File nails into a slightly rounded or square shape – look at your other nails to see what shape suits you.
• Soak your nails in a bowl of warm water, or apply an over-the-counter cuticle softener before pushing cuticles back with a stainless steel cuticle pusher. If you are clipping cuticles, first apply a bit of cuticle cream, then trim conservatively (only what sticks out).
• Cleanse your hands with soap and water, using a nailbrush. Dry well and massage in hand cream.
• Clean fingernails, using a wooden orange stick (you can get them in the nail care section of your pharmacy), topped with a piece of cotton, dipped in remover.
• Apply base coat of nail polish, two layers of polish and then topcoat to your nails.
• There you go! One gorgeous and easy manicure achieved – all at your home salon.

Perfect pedicure

Pampering your feet is the ultimate luxury, yet few people make time for it. While doing it yourself doesn’t quite have the same relaxing effect, you can still get your feet feeling their best with the below DIY pedicure:

• Fill a tub or foot bath with warm water and add a handful of your favourite bath salts. Then add a tablespoon of olive oil and soak your feet for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Rub an exfoliating body scrub into the bottoms of your feet. Then use a foot file to pumice away calluses. Rinse with cool water.
• Clip your toenails and file them into a square shape. Gently push back (don’t cut) your cuticles.
• Dry your feet off and apply moisturiser. Slick on a base coat, two coats of polish and top coat to your toe nails.

Common hand and foot skin problems

If your hands and feet need a little extra TLC thanks to some unsightly symptoms, like cracked skin or rashes, try these easy cures for the most common hand and foot skin problems. Your hands and feet will be back in tip-top shape in no time – so you can give them the manicure or pedicure they deserve.

Eczema

• Cause: Dry irritated skin and painful cracks on fingertips are often due to over-washing hands and nails – making the skin lose moisture and elasticity.
• Cure: A creamy moisturiser will raise your skin’s barrier moisture level. You should also wash hands as little as possible and always follow with hand cream. Avoid using lactic or glycolic acid cleansers or moisturisers on your hands and nails – they can sting.
• Try: Wearing white cotton gloves beneath rubber gloves on your hands when washing up or doing housework such as cleaning the bathroom.

Corns

• Cause: The thickened skin on your feet is a reaction to underlying pressure from a bone spur under the skin.
• Cure: Periodically shave down the corn or callus at home with a pumice stone or emery board. Avoid wearing narrow shoes and high heels on your feet, which put more pressure on toes.
• Try: Putting a medicated doughnut pad around the corn to take pressure off it.

Athlete’s Foot

• Cause: Moist, warm areas on the body (anywhere you sweat), which allow fungus to thrive.
• Cure: See a dermatologist, who will prescribe an antifungal cream. Also, let your skin breathe as much as possible, use powder to keep feet dry and avoid wearing leather footwear.
• Try: Putting half of a cotton ball between your smallest toes to keep them apart.